The Supporting Child Caregivers Podcast

Maria Rhodes, Child Analyst of the British Psychoanalytic Society and Emeritus Professor of Child Psychotherapy at the Tavistock Clinic in London, talks about her many experiences, including her treatment of toddlers at risk of autism.  

Emily Hills, a neonatal occupational therapist with expertise in sensory integration who practices in London and has taught all around the world will talk about her experiences with high-risk babies. She will also tell a funny anecdote from her teaching experience that expresses the difference between Anglo and Latino cultures in an amusing way! 

An Early Interventionist, describes her research in the clinical and public health interventions for high-risk infants.

Yvette Blanchard, an expert NBO and NBAS practitioner and trainer, co-author of the NBO manual, transcends the boundaries of professional discipline in her wholistic and humanistic approach to the vulnerable families she treats.

Dr. Maya Szombat, a child psychiatrist working in London, a NBAS trainer and practitioner,  describes her work in maternity and neonatology settings, supporting parents of newborns and premature babies.

The Neonatologist Dr. Jaclyn Ruggiero talks about her care of critically ill newborns with complex medical needs in the NICU, while also promoting practices that strengthen the infant-caregiver relationship.  She will explain how these early experiences support the infants’ regulation and their connection with their caregivers. 

Prof M Angeles Cerezo, An Internationally Recognized Expert in Early Parent-Child Interactions talks about her journey from research to a practice of helping parents with the challenges and joys of parenting babies.

Lauryl Ramakrishnan, a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner and Lactation Consultant in Pediatric Primary Care and Lactation Medicine at Cambridge Health Alliance gives us her insights into helping new mothers successfully nurture their babies, in that way building their self-confidence, their feelings of comfort and safety, and ultimately strengthening the mother-infant bond. Breastfeeding can be particu...

Dr. Ana Mayen, a Salvadoran neonatologist, talks about her experience caring for preterm babies in El Salvador. She is a major member of our SCC team at the Casa de Vida, the residence for young pregnant teens in El Salvador. Since pregnant teens are a high risk group for preterm births as well as other complications, her experience and knowledge has been extremely important to us. Dra. Mayen is a...

Dr. Hanife Akal talks about her family vacations in Turkey—especially summer vacations shared by both sides of her extended family.

Dr. Shazia Parveen talks about how she celebrates the holiday of Eid in Pakistan and how she helped the children flood survivors celebrate life by planting trees to heal the earth.

Bob McDonell, the Director of Mi Casa Kids El Salvador talks about the holiday traditions of his childhood in the U.S. and now how Christmas is celebrated in El Salvador by the children at Mi Casa and by his family in San Salvador.

Dr. Carlotta Bettancourt describes an innovative group therapy model for children on the Autism Spectrum paired with volunteer high school mentors.

In our next episode of the series “Autism Today”, Professor Sylvie Goldman, of the Child Neurology and Cognitive Neurosciences Division of the Department of Neurology at Columbia University, talks about her work related to movement disorders and the identification of autism in girls. 

Dr. Cynthia Martin discusses her work with developmental differences such as autism. She will focus on the assessment of these children and refer to studies of their long-term outcome. Her work is fascinating and compelling. 

Alexandra Harrison answers listeners’ questions about grandparents, divorce,  and pressured children.

Patricia de las Casas Elias Bonnemaison, a psychanalyste, author, member of the Peruvian volleyball team, and grandmother, talks about her experience as a grandmother in Peru. Her daughter, Rocio Luna de las Casas, a psychologist, infant mental health specialist, and psychoanalytic candidate, will join the conversation to discuss Peruvian grandmothers and daughters, culture, and the power of relat...

Chris-Ander Paraison is a rising sophomore at Harvard studying Chemistry. He was born in Port-Au-Prince, Haiti, but moved to Massachusetts alongside his family following the 2010 Haitian Earthquake. Outside of academics, Chris enjoys playing guitar, watching anime, and hanging out with friends. In the future he hopes to either pursue a career in medicine, biotechnology, or pharmaceuticals. He talk...

Shamala Senthilkumar is a speech and language pathologist who has worked with young children, the terminally ill, and the medically disabled. She draws on her strong family values and commitment to early relational health to motivate her work with this vulnerable population.

Ivan Ron, A recent Harvard graduate who studied government and psychology, Ivana Ron, has given a lot of thought to family values from both an academic and personal point of view. She is big sister to four little sisters in a close family that includes her mother and grandmother and enjoys the richness of a Mexican heritage. Ivan has also been the gifted Instagram creator for SCC!  

Dr. Marva Lewis, researcher, infant parent psychotherapist, and highly valued colleague of many of us in the infant mental health community, talks about the quiet moments in which family values are communicated. 

Iyanu Shonukan, a first year student at Harvard College talks about the values he was taught by his Nigerian-American parents and how they have shaped his ambitions to provide underserved people with culturally responsive care in the mental health space.

What is the number one family value for Chinese adolescents and young adults? You may be surprised. Two Chinese students, Joanna and Jacky, join us from Hangzhou, China, and Boston Massachusetts, to describe two different school experiences but the same family values.

Dr. Muhammad Zeshan, a child and adolescent psychiatrist and social media influencer speaks about how he recommends passing on cherished family values to your children.

Dr. Abishek Bala, Director of the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Central Michigan University, who traveled with me on my second trip to india, talks about the values he learned from his Indian family that he hopes to pass on to his young daughter living with him and his wife in the US. It is a thoughtful interview and includes some surprises for those of us brought up in the U.S.